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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Presenting the Bow-Tied Blouse!

This is project 7 of 14 from Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing! Can you believe I'm halfway through? I just adore this little blouse, and it was fun and easy to make.Here's a shot of the back, of which I'm extremely proud. I made bound buttonholes and made fabric-covered buttons with the help of a Dritz kit.

And here I am modeling it with the bolero, a la the photograph in VoNBBS

Here's what VoNBBS had to say about this project:

The short-sleeve blouse that has a soft neckline interest is a wonderful suit blouse . . . you can also wear it with any skirt in your wardrobe. We made it in wool jersey (which will teach you how to handle knitted fabric). You can make it in practically any fabric you wish . . . make it in black velveteen or pastel slipper satin for evening . . . make it in linen, pique, or chambray for warm weather in chalk-white, black, or a bright, vibrant colour. For cool weather you can also make the blouse in sheer wool or challis. The blouse buttons all the way down the back (it also has a Peter Pan collar version). It should take a beginner about 9 hours to make.

Well, this definitely didn't take me 9 hours, so perhaps I really am improving! After I figured out the bound buttonholes, I was able to whip this up in an afternoon. I will definitely be making this pattern again - actually I already have another one cut out. It will be teal wool/angora jersey, with the Peter Pan collar. This is basically my dream blouse for work, so I'll probably be whipping up a bunch of these suckers. And the pattern I bought actually fit me perfectly, no alterations required! I love it when things work out so easily!

The next VoNBBS project up is the little girl's party dress, which I imagine will be simple and a lot of fun to make. But then the projects start getting . . . involved. Let's just say that the second half of VoNBBS will separate the women from the girls. The subsequent project, the full-skirted dress, is estimated to take 30 hours! Well, when the going gets tough, the tough get . . . sewing?

That blouse is gorgeous!!! It looks so, so beautiful--I just love the details of the bound buttonholes! That's it--I've got to go dig out my pattern for a similar style and find some fabric. I need a blouse like this! lol.

Oh, thank you for reminding me! I got a great tip from a commenter here about how to get into a blouse like this easily. You leave the middle buttons buttoned, and slip it over your head. Then you can easily button the top and bottom buttons on your own. Works like a charm!

And yeah, I think a necklace might be overkill. But not earrings and bracelets and such!

Everything about that blouse is fantastic! Fit, construction, fabric choice and YES the buttonholes! Don't you just love it when all the elements come together and work so well? Not having to do alterations was a big bonus too. Great job!

Wow. I'm don't usually favour baby blue, but this looks stunning, Gertie! I definitely understand why you're willing to make some others, it fits gorgeously! And covered buttons are always an extra charming point (especially on the back)...I'd be eager to see how the pattern reacts when using a very different fabric, too!

What a beautiful blouse! And VoNBBS is right in this case, it seems to go to all sorts of things; work, dancing, dinner out... I had planned for sewing a couple of blouses, now I'm really on! =)Thank you for being such a source of inspiration! Whenever I start feeling lack of energy for my creative projects, your blog will always cheer me up!

THAT is a great blouse - and to make it in wool jersey is a terrific idea - during the winter, regular blouses are just not warm enough at work and a sweater is just too much. And it looks fantastic on you. Bravo!

Let me join the chorus - absolutely beautiful. It looks so effortlessly chic, and is lovely paired up with the grey pencil skirt. I would never have considered sewing with wool knit but you make it look so good I immediately want to rush out and buy some!

PatternJunkie, there IS such a thing as sheer wool, isn't that interesting?! At Mood, they have wool voile, which is just like cotton voile (sheer and airy). And challis is a very thin wool that can sometimes be sheer as well I believe.

verobirdie, see my tip above about getting into a button-back blouse. No roomie or partner required!

Through out this whole process when you make every garment I want to buy and sew every single pattern in the book. Especially this blouse and the portrait blouse but end up just getting frustrated as everyone else to own the patterns now too and I just can't find them. So frustrating!

Chiming in with this grand chorus to add my kudos on a beautiful blouse, complete with bound buttonholes AND covered buttons! I want one too! I love the tip on how to put on a back-buttoned blouse (dress, anything) - how clever. :D You are awesome, Gertie!

Beautiful blouse and it suits you so well. Bound buttonholes? WOW, I have been sewing for 40 years and don't think I could execute enough bound buttonholes to be useful. Great job. What a wonderful idea to start at the beginning of the book and work your way through it. KUDOS!

wonderful!!! i am not normally fond of high necklines, but this one is soo feminine. regarding the pattern, i will simply try to use any similar top pattern from Burda and modify a bit. Also one can clearly see this is a soft tiangle shape. just measure neck, shoulders length and make the front bit bigger - to fit the bust lines afterwords. that is all. You could try to make one from a cheap fabric first.

I have just started following your blog and I have become completely obsessed with this blouse. I have looked for a number of days and cannot find this blouse pattern. Darn it. This becoming addicted to a vintage pattern could become quite maddening when it can't be found. It turned out beautifully and makes me want a baby blue blouse, too. I don't have a single thing in that color and it reminds me so much of what my mother wore when I was a little girl. Good job!

Hello I see you create blouses with buttons at the back. It is gorgeous. But why always for women? Wouldn't you create that for men? I have one myself and it is really nice to wear it. Maybe I give you an idea